Article Support Rack

ABSTRACT

A telescopic article support rack includes a primary article support rack, a secondary article support rack, and a clamp. A slide guiding device is disposed between the primary and the secondary article support racks for guiding the primary and the secondary article support racks slide relative with each other. One end of the clamp buckles on the primary article support rack, and the other end buckles on the secondary article support rack when the secondary article support rack is pulled or pushed to a needed position so as to make the primary and the secondary article support racks fixed relatively. The clamp is a double-faced clamp that can fix something in two opposite directions. Since the secondary article support rack can be extended or telescoped freely, the article support rack not only can meet the user&#39;s requirement of placing more objects, but also can avoid wasting room space when there is no need for placing more objects.

CROSS REFERENCE TO THE RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application No. 200620064774.1, filed on Sep. 25, 2006.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an article support rack, and more particularly to a telescopic article support rack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional article support rack 9 has a shelf-board 91 and a plurality of support legs 92 joined to the shelf-board 91. After the article support rack is made to be a finished product, the space on which for placing objects is changeless. So the article support rack can not meet the user's requirement of placing more objects on it. The user has to buy another article support rack for holding more objects or a smaller article support rack used side by side with the old article support rack. The two ways both can solve the problem of incapable of placing more objects, but the article support racks occupy much more room space. It is a waste of space when the user does not need to place more objects. With the state that per inch ground worth an inch gold, the waste of the space is the matter that the users are not willing to see.

Hence, a need has arisen for providing an improved article support rack to meet the requirement of occasionally holding more objects and avoid wasting room space when having no use for holding objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a telescopic article support rack which is capable of placing more objects when required and avoiding wasting room space when there is no need for placing more objects.

To achieve the above-mentioned object, an article support rack comprises a primary article support rack having a primary article support rack with a first shelf-board and a plurality of support legs joined to the first shelf-board, a secondary article support rack with a second shelf-board and a plurality of support legs joined to the second shelf-board, and a clamp. The first shelf-board forms a first rail, and the second shelf-board forms a second rail and a third rail. A slide guiding device is disposed between the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack for guiding the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack slide relative with each other. One end of the clamp forms a first split ring, and the other end of the clamp forms a second split ring and a third split ring which are symmetrical and have opposite splits. The first split ring buckles on the first rail of the primary article support rack, the second split ring and the third split ring selectively buckle on the corresponding rails of the secondary article support rack. An inner diameter of the first split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the first rail, an inner diameter of the second split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the second rail, and an inner diameter of the third split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the third rail.

In comparison with the traditional article support rack, the advantage of the present invention is that the article support rack of the present invention not only can be extended to meet the user's requirement of placing more objects, but also can be telescoped to avoid wasting room space when there is no need for placing more objects.

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of several particular embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a traditional article support rack;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an article support rack according to the present invention, showing a primary article support rack and a secondary article support rack before assembled;

FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the article support rack with the secondary article support rack telescoped into the primary article support rack;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 except that a first shelf-board of the primary article support rack is removed;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the article support rack with the secondary article support rack telescoped into the primary article support rack;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a clamp for the article support rack; and

FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view showing connection relation of the primary article support rack, the secondary article support rack, and the clamp in greater detail with the secondary article support rack extended.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the article support rack 1 of the present invention includes a primary article support rack 2, a secondary article support rack 3 and a clamp 4 (shown in FIG. 7). The primary article support rack 2 includes a first shelf-board 21 with a first rail 27, several support legs 22 joined to the first shelf-board 21, and a track bracket 23 positioned under the first shelf-board 21. The secondary article support rack 3 includes a second shelf-board 31 with a second rail 34 and a third rail 35, several support legs 32 joined to the second shelf-board 31, and limiting beams 33. The support legs 22, 32 of the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 each have a truckle 24.

A slide guiding device is disposed between the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3, through which the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 can slide relative with each other.

As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the slide guiding device of the article support rack according to the present embodiment is the track bracket 23 positioned on the primary article support rack 2. The second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3 slides along the track bracket 23 so as to achieve the relative slide between the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3.

The track bracket 23, which is frame-structure, includes two slide tracks 25 and two support beams 26. The section of the slide track 25 can be designed to be circular, quadrate, flute-shaped, protrudend, or I-shaped. The instant embodiment chooses circle as the section of the slide track 25.

Referring to FIG. 6 simultaneously, the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support 3 provides a pair of limiting beams 33, whose length L is smaller than the distance H between the support beam 26 of the track bracket 23 of the primary article support rack 2 and the first rail 27 of the first shelf-board 21. The length of the support beam 26 is larger than the distance between the two limiting beams 33, and the distance between the two limiting beams 33 is larger than that between the two slide tracks 25. The limiting beams 33 can limit the secondary article support rack 3 in right and left direction when sliding the secondary article support rack 3 relative to the primary article support rack 2 and define a maximum extension position of the secondary article support rack 3 when extending the secondary article support rack 3.

As shown in FIG. 7, one end of the clamp 4 forms a first split ring 41, and the other end forms a second split ring 42 and a third split ring 43 which are symmetrical and have opposite splits. The inner diameter of the first split ring 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the first rail 27 of the primary article support rack 2, the inner diameter of the second split ring 42 is larger than the outer diameter of the second rail 34, and the inner diameter of the third split ring 43 is larger than the outer diameter of the third rail 35 so that the split rings 41-43 can buckle on the corresponding rails 27, 34 and 35, which will be described in detail hereinafter.

The assembling of the article support rack of the present invention is as followed.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, make the secondary article support rack 3 face to the primary article support rack 2 and slightly hold up the opening end of the secondary article support rack 3, hitch the limiting beams 33 of the secondary article support rack 3 to the track bracket 23 of the primary article support rack 2, then push the secondary article support rack 3 into the primary article support rack 2.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first split ring 41 of the clamp 4 buckles on the first rail 27 of the first shelf-board 21 of the primary article support rack 2, and the clamp 4 can rotate against the first rail 27 of the primary article support rack 2.

In normal state when there is no need for the secondary article support rack 3, the secondary article support rack 3 is telescoped inside the primary article support rack 2 and the second split ring 42 of the clamp 4 is buckled on the second rail 34 of the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3 (referring to FIG. 3) so that the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 are fixed relatively. In this state, the room space occupied by the article support rack 1 is almost equal to the volume of the primary article support rack 2.

When the users want the article support rack to place more objects, they can unfasten the second split ring 42 of the clamp 4 from the second rail 34 of the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3, then pull the secondary article support rack 3 out of the primary article support rack 2, and then buckle the third split ring 43 of the clamp 4 on the rail 35 of the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3 so that the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 are relatively fixed (referring to FIG. 8). In this state, the secondary article support rack 3 is extended so as to increase the space for placing more objects. When the users do not want the article support rack to place more objects, they only need to unfasten the third split ring 43 of the clamp 4 from the third rail 35 of the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3, then push the secondary article support rack 3 into the primary article support rack 2 again and buckle the second split ring 42 of the clamp 4 on the second rail 34 of the second shelf-board 31 of the secondary article support rack 3 so that the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 are relatively fixed. So the room space occupied by the article support rack 1 is the same as that occupied by the primary article support rack 2 again.

It should be noted that:

(1) More other rails 36, 37, 38 can be provided on the secondary article support rack 3 (referring to FIG. 5) besides the second and the third rails 34, 35. When the user only needs to pull partial secondary article support rack out, the second and third split rings 42, 43 of the clamp 4 can buckle on the corresponding rails at a certain place. That is, the user can freely adjust the article support rack via extending or telescoping the secondary article support rack to a position within the maximum stretch position depending on the quantity of objects to be placed, thereby do not waste room space.

(2) The quantity of the shelf-board of the primary and the secondary article support racks 2, 3 are not limited. Referring to FIG. 2, the primary and the secondary article support racks 2, 3 both are designed to be multilayer structure with several shelf-boards 29, 39.

(3) The slide guiding device disposed between the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 is not limited to the abovementioned solution, it can be achieved by a traditional pulley module for drawer, that is, mounting the slide track and the slider of the pulley module to the primary article support rack 2 and the secondary article support rack 3 respectively so as to realize their relative slide.

(4) The secondary article support rack 3 can be telescoped into the primary article support rack 2 from its left side or right side freely. Therefore the assembling direction is not confined to a certain direction, and the assembling is flexible and convenient.

(5) The split rings 41-43 of the clamp 4 may have the same inner diameter, and also may have different inner diameter. The sizes of the inner diameters of the split rings 41-43 depend on the sizes of the outer diameters of the respective rails 27, 34, 35.

As indicated above, in comparison with the traditional article support rack, the advantage of the present invention is that the article support rack of the present invention not only can be extended to meet the user's requirement of placing more objects, but also can be telescoped to avoid wasting room space when there is no need for placing more objects.

Thus, the present invention provides, in various embodiments, an improved article support rack. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. An article support rack comprising: a primary article support rack having a first shelf-board and a plurality of support legs joined to the first shelf-board, the first shelf-board forming a first rail; a secondary article support rack having a second shelf-board and a plurality of support legs joined to the second shelf-board, the second shelf-board forming a second rail and a third rail; a slide guiding device disposed between the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack for guiding the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack slide relative with each other; and a clamp, one end of the clamp forming a first split ring, the other end of the clamp forming a second split ring and a third split ring which are symmetrical and have opposite splits, the first split ring buckling on the first rail of the primary article support rack, the second split ring and the third split ring selectively buckling on the corresponding rails of the secondary article support rack; wherein an inner diameter of the first split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the first rail, an inner diameter of the second split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the second rail, and an inner diameter of the third split ring is larger than an outer diameter of the third rail.
 2. The article support rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide guiding device comprises a track bracket formed on the primary article support rack for guiding the secondary article support rack slide inside the primary article support rack, the track bracket is located under the first shelf-board of the primary article support rack, and the secondary article support rack further comprises limiting beams extruding from the second shelf-board for limiting the secondary article support rack in right and left direction when sliding the secondary article support rack relative to the primary article support rack and defining a maximum extension position of the secondary article support rack when extending the secondary article support rack.
 3. The article support rack as claimed in claim 2, wherein the limiting beams of the secondary article support rack are provided at least two.
 4. The article support rack as claimed in claim 3, wherein the track bracket of the primary article support rack comprises two tracks and two support beams.
 5. The article support rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the length of the support beam of the track bracket is larger than the distance between the two limiting beams of the secondary article support rack, and the distance between the two limiting beams is larger than that between the two tracks of the track bracket.
 6. The article support rack as claimed in claim 5, wherein the length of the limiting beam of the secondary article support rack is smaller than the distance between the support beam of the track bracket and the first rail of the first articles shelf-board of the primary article support rack.
 7. The article support rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slide guiding device is a pulley module for drawer having a slide track positioned on the primary article support rack and a slider positioned on the secondary article support rack.
 8. The article support rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary article support rack further comprises a plurality of rails configured to be buckled on by the second split ring and the third split ring of the clamp selectively.
 9. The article support rack as claimed in claim 8, wherein the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack each further comprise a plurality of shelf-boards.
 10. The article support rack as claimed in claim 9, wherein each support leg of the primary article support rack and the secondary article support rack has a truckle. 